A PAIR of Somerset dog owners brought home awards from the Kennel Club International Agility Festival.

The festival took place at Rockingham Castle, Northamptonshire, from August 11 to 14 and attracted a field from the whole of the UK in a bid to find canine champions.

Jo Turner, from Langport, and her dog Meddler won the Championship class for small dogs at the festival.

The Championship classes are for grade seven dogs, the highest possible grade in the discipline and the pair competed against the top agility dogs and handlers from all over the world.

Miss Turner and Meddler have now qualified to take place in the final at Crufts 2017.

She said: “I have always loved dogs and got my own when I was 16, by 17 I was involved in agility.

“I’m absolutely over the moon to have been so successful in the Small Championship at the festival with Meddler and am extremely excited about competing at Crufts.”

Tracy Allen, from Taunton, and her dog Twigs won the Starters Cup semi-final for small dogs. They will now compete at Eukanuba Discover Dogs at ExCel in London in the final this October.

The Starters Cup is for dogs that are new to agility. Twigs will be one of six small dogs taking part in the finals.

Tracy Allen said: “Being in the semi-final in the main ring at the festival was such an achievement, and a competition with an atmosphere that I will never forget.”

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club secretary, said: “Last year we granted Championship Status to the festival for the first time which was incredibly successful and this year was no different, with a wide variety of skilled dogs and their owners competing.

“We would like to congratulate Meddler and Jo for their fantastic achievement in a hotly contested competition.”

And she said the club wished Tracy and Twigs all the best for the national competition.

“Any dogs and handlers who are new to agility will really enjoy the Starters Cup, it gives them an amazing opportunity to compete at a national final,” she added.

“We would like to congratulate Twigs and Tracy and wish them all the best for the finals at Eukanuba Discover Dogs in October.”

Dog agility shows involve owners guiding their dogs around a course consisting of tunnels, jumps, and other obstacles.

To find out more about dog agility, visit www.thekennelclub.org.uk/agility.